Increased violence in Darfur and South Kordofan continues

Sudan witnessed various violent incidents yesterday. In South Darfur, tribal clashes have cost the lives of at least seven people while, in North Darfur, residents fell victim to an armed robbery. In South Kordofan, armed forces shot a man.

Yesterday, at least seven people were killed and about 30 others were wounded in a tribal attack on the village of El Tawil in the Saboon area of South Darfur.

Activist Abdelrahman Osman from El Tawil said that attack had been committed by members of the Rizeigat tribe and that all his family and relatives had been killed.

Other eyewitnesses told Radio Dabanga that they saw clouds of smoke covering the sky above the vilage but that they were unable to discern any details of the event.

The region has witnessed clashes between the Rizeigat and Fallata tribes in the past month, which have resulted in numerous deaths and injuries.

In North Darfur, a group of people from Saraf Omra became the victims of an armed robbery on their return from Kala.

Resident Mohamed Khater told Radio Dabanga that two armed men intercepted their rickshaw, and redirected them onto farmland before robbing them of their mobile phones and money. He said that the number of robberies has recently increased in Saraf Omra.

West Darfur violence

In the past weekend, large groups of gunmen attacked El Geneina, capital of West Darfur, killing over 129 people and wounding at least 198. The Darfur Bar Association reported that the violence was triggered by “a simple crime”. A Masalit tribesman stabbed a member of an "Arab tribe”* to death near the Kerending camps. Though the killer was arrested, relatives of the victim sought revenge.

The lawyers explained that “militiamen took advantage of the incident” and attacked El Geneina from all directions. They were supported by groups that came from Saraf Omra in North Darfur, Central Darfur, and the border area with Chad.

The USA Embassy expressed its concern about the escalating violence in the region and called on the communities involved "to immediately stop retributive violence and engage in constructive dialogue to resolve the issues".

Darfur has witnessed a surge of crime and violence recently and the governor of Central Darfur has warned for an increase in this violence now that the UNAMID mission has officially started its withdrawal from the region. Protests against the insecurity and violence, and against the UNAMID exit, have taken place all over Darfur.

South Kordofan shooting

In the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan, the Sudanese Armed Forces shot a man named Hasan Mohamed while he was riding his motorcycle on the road towards the town of El Tirtir.

Witnesses told Radio Dabanga that members of the armed forces tried to arrest Hasan Mohamed but when he resisted, one of the gunmen opened the fire and wounded him in the leg. He was then transferred to the El Tirtir Hospital for treatment.

In the past months, South Kordofan witnessed various armed robberies, attacks, killings, and looting. Because of the ongoing violence, residents organised a demonstration earlier this month to protest against the deteriorating security

* The major tribes in Darfur are the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa. The predominantly nomadic tribes, called Arabs in Sudan, live in the larger part of northern Darfur and the predominantly non-Arab or African sedentary group, mainly composed of peasant farmers, live in the western and southern regions of Darfur.